Spending on Live Events Down in Spring Over Economy Fears [Report]

The recovery of Australia’s live music and arts sectors had a brake-on effect in spring, according to Patternmakers’ latest “The Audience Outlook Monitor”.

The study was conducted in October 2022, and reports audience apprehension is growing over the economy, in addition to continued fear of COVID transmission at shows.

A sizeable 38% of audiences say the risk of contracting or transmitting the virus prevents them from attending cultural events.

A troubling trend is that fans are keeping a closer eye on their wallets as living costs rise, putting greater pressure on ticket prices.

The proportion spending over $50 (63%) or $100 (38%) on arts and culture in the two weeks before the study, stayed level with March and August.

“Financial barriers are now affecting 40% of audiences, up from 24% in August 2022,” Patternmakers said.

“It’s likely to be a bumpy ride, with factors like re-entry anxiety and lacking energy (from worrying about the pandemic) to go out also impacting decisions.”

The report noted that while 71% of those surveyed were “ready” to go to events (up from 65% in August and 59% in March 2022), attendance frequency is still yet to return to pre-pandemic levels.

44% are going to less of them and 52% are attending at the same rate.

The long tail of the pandemic is starting to make a greater permanent impact on music events, festivals, exhibitions and gallery showings.

The report warned: “Full recovery will take time. While most audiences are feeling confident and many are optimistic about increasing their attendance in future, new barriers are emerging related to economic factors and lifestyle changes.”

Half of audiences (51%) expect to go to more events next year, but a high 32% thinks there is still not enough appealing events available.

Near a quarter of the 5,000 respondents (24%) are undergoing a lifestyle change and prioritising other things in their lives at the moment.

Flexible working hours and migration to regional areas could also affect when events are put on.

“Scheduling preferences are changing for one in five audience members whether it’s the time, day or location of events,” according to the study.

As touring picks up, 56% are attracted to “big names”. But 11% disagree, arguing lesser known names could offer better value for money.

Another long-term impact of the pandemic is, last-minute ticket purchases are here to stay, with August 2022 data revealing most audience members book events within the next seven days (26%) and the
next two to three weeks (43%).

But the buzz for music events is strong, especially among younger fans.

74% want to try new things, compared to 58% with other demographics.

The appetite for “uplifting” (73%) and “challenging” (42%) content is strong in most age groups.

“Feeling safe and comfortable at live music venues… is at an all-time high,” the report said.

This is 65% for live music venues and comedy clubs (up from 51% in March),
95% for concert halls and large theatres (from 88%) and 90% for outdoor events
without fixed seating (from 82%).

People continue to favour their local area (65%) or region (45%) when attending the arts, and one in 10 had recently attended events intrastate (13%) or interstate (11%).

Digital events remain important for those wanting to remain participants.

These include fans with disabilities (49%), those vulnerable to COVID-19 (47%), those more cautious about the risk of the virus (46%) and those aged over 75 (44%).

Four in 10 audience members (41%) participate in some kind of online arts, such as pre-recorded video (21%), classes and tutorials (18%) and live streamed performances (14%), stable with March 2022 (42%).

Digital marketing is paramount for live events with 83% of audiences using online channels, including e-newsletters (55%), websites (54%), Facebook (24%) and online searches (11%) to find out what’s happening.

For those under 35, websites (59%) and word of mouth (57%) are the most common sources of awareness, followed by emails from promoters.

You can read the Audience Outlook Monitor here.